Compatibility

Battery Life

Tracking

Pros

Cons

Have you ever found yourself about to go out, running late and you noticed that you have misplaced your wallet and keys? Well, a company that goes by the name of Tile has introduced a sleek new product that helps resolve this problem that everyone has. We all seem to misplace and lose our wallet and keys along with other possessions. However, with this new product the company wants to help you keep track of your things as well as help you find them if you ever lose them.

The company say they are made up of the core elements that will help us resolve this problem.

The physical tile

The app

The community

With these three elements combined, the company aims to give you hope that never again will you have to go into panic mode when you realize that you’ve left something behind.

The physical Tile itself is a small white device with a sturdy construction that’s waterproof and is tough enough to handle any daily damage. But it’s also so compact and lightweight that you probably won’t even notice that you have it on you. The Tile is a square shaped device that has a circular cut-out at the top making it perfect to use as a keyring, helping you keep track of your keys.

Getting Started

Using Tile is relatively easy and straight forward. There are only a couple of steps that you need to take in order to start using the product and additional services. One thing that you will need besides the physical Tile, is a smartphone. This is because the Tile will need to be paired to another device so you can keep track of it. Also, you will need to download the Tile app which can be found on both the App Store and Google Play Store. Once you have completed these steps you are good to go and can begin to add and use your first Tile.

Steps for Setting Up Tile

When you load up the app it will ask you to turn your Bluetooth and location on for the application to access these features as they are required in order for the Tile to work.

Once you have downloaded the app, upon loading the application you will be asked to provide an email address. At this stage you will also be required to create a password.

Once these steps have been completed you will asked to confirm your email address by clicking the link that you have been emailed. This will then allow you to proceed and log on to the app and start setting up the Tile.

To set up the Tile, it is very easy and straight forward. The first thing you have to do is click the plus sign at the top of the app, which allows you to add a tile.

Once you’ve done this, click the “e” that is engraved onto the physical Tile. (you need to make sure you press down on this firmly until you hear a tune)

Then, you place the Tile onto your device and the set-up is complete.

Once paired, you can simply name the tile, add a picture of what the tile will be attached to and activate it so you’re ready to start using it.

Finding Things Using Tile

The purpose of the Tile is to help you to be able to find your things, and the app has a number of ways that it allows you to do this. One of the ways you can find your belongings is by making the Tilering. When you first set up the tile you notice a little tune playing. This tune can be played out loud if you find that have lost your Tile and possessions but they are somewhere nearby. By making it ring, the tune will start to play, and hopefully you will be able to hear it and find where your Tile is.

The app will also show you how close your Tile is. A green circle around your tile on the app shows that it is in close proximity. Tile can cast a Bluetooth signal up to a 100-foot radius. Meaning if you are within this range of your Tile, you will be able to make it ring. To make it ring you simply have to click the “find” button on the app and once located just click “done” to make it stop ringing.

Last Location of Tile

When clicking on the different Tiles you have set up in the app. You can see the last location of them as the app will automatically record the last place your phone or any other phone with the app open saw your tile.

This information is then readily available for you to see on a map. Allowing you to see the last location it was spotted. The app will then give you instructions via the map to the location where your Tile was last located, helping you narrow down your search of where it could possibly be.

Community Find

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Community Find is another way for you to track down your Tile[/pullquote]A recently added feature/service Tile added is Community Find. Community Find is another way for you to track down your Tile. By clicking “mark as lost” in the app, you are able to let all other Tile members know you have lost you Tile, or what was attached to it. Once someone has found your Tile, you will get a notification letting you know of its approximate location.

Pros

In addition to being easy to set up and find lost possessions, Tile also comes with additional advantages. Firstly, you have the option to add an unlimited amount of tiles, so you don’t have to choose between what gets protected and what doesn’t. You might think ‘it’ll be too expensive to protect all my stuff’ but it actually wouldn’t thanks to the multi-pack savings you get when multiple Tiles are purchased.

Also, Tile works with Bluetooth 4.0 and incorporates Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology so your phone battery isn’t too badly affected. Moreover, Tile has a CR2 battery and the battery life of Tile is 8765 hours or 1 year from when it is shipped. The huge battery life means there’s no need to recharge or replace the batteries in Tile for a whole year. Furthermore, Tile is water resistant up to IP5 standards so a spilled drink or rainy day won’t pose a problem.

Cons

[pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”#c15353” class=”” size=””]After that year, it’s essentially rendered useless[/pullquote]The only gripe we have with Tile is the battery. The battery has a HUGE battery life but after that year, it’s essentially rendered useless and you have to buy a new Tile. It’s more of a drawback if you have multiple Tiles as these will need to be replaced after a year which could cost a lot. However, the non-removable battery only exists because the Tile is sealed so as to keep it water resistant. While this may be a deal breaker for some, we think the advantages of Tile far outweigh the fact that it needs to be replaced on a yearly basis.

Overall, we think Tile is a great little product and is something we feel lost without. It is amazing how something so little could be so useful.With a beautiful exterior giving it a smart and elegant look, and a well-designed app making navigation easy for all of us, we really do recommend that you give this product a try.

Huge thanks to Tile for sending this out for review purposes. You can check them out here. As always, follow us on Twitter to stay updated with our reviews and news.